(1) Field of the Invention
The subject matter of the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus utilized by an “Application Service Provider” which is hereinafter called “LiveQuest”, and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus utilized by an Application Service Provider adapted for providing remote access to software applications, via the internet and the extranet, data generated and used by the software applications, and knowledge generated by the software applications.
(2) Description of the Related Art
including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.
Today, oil and gas companies are requesting services that enable them to take advantage of the current electronics communication revolution in their day-to-day work practices without the overhead of acquiring and supporting the necessary hardware and software applications. Therefore, there is a growing market for “Application Service Providers”. The concept of an Application Service Provider, or “ASP”, is to essentially move the customer's server room to an offsite location. The LiveQuest ASP initiative described in this specification involves the secure delivery of LiveQuest software suites to a worldwide customer base, via the Internet. This approach also enables a company or customer using these applications to outsource the management of the applications and the hardware environments they require.
Oil and gas companies are requesting a wide range of innovative business solutions to support a revolution in day-to-day electronic communications and work practices. As a result, there is a growing market for application service providers, or ASPs. The business model driving ASPs is essentially to move the bulk of the customer's Information Technology infrastructure to an offsite location. To do so, the ASP must provide secure delivery of software suites to a worldwide customer base, via the Internet and/or dedicated lines. This approach also enables the ASP customers to outsource the management of the applications and the hardware environments they require.
Within a given E&P company, a traditional computing environment includes a central room full of powerful servers that maintain files and databases. These servers are linked to user desktop computers in multiple offices, with support provided by peripherals such as printers and plotters. Conceptually, a secure-network ASP moves the server room to an offsite location, in essence stretching the network cable. Since the hardware resides outside the client's premises, the resulting network must include the proper data encryption and firewalls to ensure security and protection of proprietary information. This specification discloses an ASP service, called LiveQuest, which merges software, infrastructure and skilled personnel deployed from LiveQuest data management centers.
At the ASP's offsite location, additional hardware is employed so that existing software products can be run in their native environment. Displays are pushed across the network to a simple Web browser. With software now running on remote servers, the user's desktop environment becomes platform-independent. The user only requires a processor equipped with one of the standard Web browsers, like Netscape or Internet Explorer. This allows delivery of a vast range of software products and solutions to client users without the need to mount applications on individual machines. Such an approach can be applied today for the vast majority of software products offered by companies like Schlumberger Technology Corporation. In the future, remaining highly sophisticated applications, particularly 3D visualization that requires top-end graphic accelerator boards at the desktop, will be available in a similar fashion.
This full-service provision is the end-point of a number of options that LiveQuest can offer. Since the know-how is available to offer full service, clients can be assisted with a spectrum of customized solutions to any problem, ranging from design and implementation, to operation and hosting. For example, Schlumberger Technology Corporation, the owner and operator of LiveQuest, may advise a company on the software, hardware and process requirements necessary to efficiently pipe a major application to PC desktops through that company's Intranet.
The benefits of this approach are numerous. There is a major economy of scale to be gained through broader application of information technology tools. Software pricing becomes more adaptive. Collaboration is improved within and between disciplines. Access to specific applications and software solutions anytime, anywhere, on any device leads to greater efficiency, productivity and more rapid implementation, with fewer problems.
Since the decision to entrust this level of responsibility to an ASP is non-trivial, the Application Service Provider (ASP) must be able to set the client's mind at ease on several potential concerns. The choice should be based on reputation, the spectrum of applications delivered, the quality and consistency of support services, pricing, and hardware capability. Proper selection of people and use of the latest technology is mandatory by the ASP to ensure security, with all confidential information handled responsibly. While stretching the network link between users and provider can potentially increase the possibility of network failure, a dedicated, professional data center operated by a credible ASP can achieve reliability ratings of 99.9% uptime or better. Performance of the applications at the desktop must be equal to or better than what the user is already receiving.
Accordingly, a need exists to provide a service known as an “Application Service Provider” (ASP), including its associated method and apparatus, wherein customers or users may access, via the Internet and the Extranet, the ASP's server and other hardware implementations in order to purchase access to and utilize the ASP's software applications which are resident on that server.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention disclose and provide an Application Service Provider (ASP) including a method and apparatus which allows customers and users to access, via the Internet and/or the Extranet, the ASP's server and other hardware owned by the ASP for the purpose of purchasing access to and utilizing the ASP's software applications which are stored in the ASP's server.